Cast floors from A to Z

PU cast floor

A casting floor can be laid in the living room, kitchen, bathroom and even in the garage.

Discover the many advantages and disadvantages of a PU Cast Floor.

What colours are there for a casting floor?

A casting floor exists in various colours. You usually receive a cast floor already coloured. This means that you do not have to worry about how and what colour to use. The colouring of the self-levelling floor is done with specific colouring agents which guarantee the covering capacity and UV resistance. The industrial sector usually uses RAL colours as a base for colouring. When calculating your consumption, try to take into account the exact quantities you will need. It can happen that a slight colour deviation occurs during production. If you then have to use several packs, it is recommended that you first mix them together to avoid the risk of colour discrepancy. By using different shades of colour you can create beautiful marble or concrete effects.

RAL	Color
7000
7001
7016
7023
7035
7039
9010
9016

Why a PU cast floor?

A PU cast floor is one of the most widely used systems for private casting floors. Thanks to the easy and safe processing, you get the best result. Because the PU cast floor has already been tinted in the right colour, you can seamlessly finish small, but also large surfaces. Another advantage of PU Flooring is the elasticity of the material. This makes it possible for a PU floor to adapt to the expansion and contraction of the surface. So floor heating underneath your PU Flooring is perfectly possible. Also different substrates like wood, concrete or even old tiles can be used with a PU self-levelling floor. Each substrate requires its own specific primer or pre-treatment, but you can easily finish with a PU self-levelling floor. In most cases a satin or matt top layer is used. This top layer will improve the durability and the UV-resistance of your casting floor. The disadvantage of a PU floor is that you should not use it in industrial applications like loading and unloading areas or in a warehouse where forklifts or pallet trucks are used.

Advantages of a PU Cast Floor	Disadvantages of a PU Cast Floor
Available in different colours	Not recommended in industrial applications
Combinable with underfloor heating	Moisture sensitive during installation
Can be used on almost any surface	Proper preparation of the substrate
Wear-resistant and UV-resistant top layer	More likely to wear out without a top layer
Ideal for people with allergies	Attention when mixing components
Low-maintenance

Cast floor in concrete look

Do you wish to lay a casting floor in a concrete look? Then you can use a casting floor coloured in various shades of grey to achieve a super nice concrete look casting floor. The technique itself is fairly simple. You pour the PU casting floor with one basic colour over a large part of the floor to be treated. Then you vent that area with a spiked roller. By using spiked shoes, you can easily step over the still wet casting floor in order to mix the different colour shades. In this way you pour the 2 or 3 colours into each other, creating the desired concrete look.

The same technique is used to create a marble effect. To finish it off, you can use a colourless top layer, which can be high-gloss, satin or matt. This top layer also provides extra UV protection for your PU self-levelling floor. The disadvantage of a casting floor in marble or concrete look is that, if you need to carry out repairs, it is quite difficult to realise the same colour pattern.

Cast floor with rustic look

Every living space has its own character and atmosphere. If you want to create a rustic look, you can use the right colour combination and gloss level for your self-levelling floor. Thanks to the possibility of having your PU self-levelling floor supplied in virtually every RAL colour, you can easily anticipate this. A cast floor in a country style requires soft and warm colours. This can be achieved by using off-white or beige tints, sometimes supplemented with a hint of brown. Taupe shades are also available. A PU self-levelling floor can be seamlessly integrated with parquet or wooden floors.

Price of cast floor is affordable

A PU cast floor or polyurethane cast floor is certainly affordable. This is because a PU casting floor is composed of industrial raw materials. This keeps the price attractive for both professionals and private individuals. Because of the nature of the raw materials, a PU self-levelling screed is much cheaper than one made of epoxy or acrylic systems.

With a PU self-levelling floor there can be a big difference in price between a UV-resistant variant and a variant without this characteristic. In order to keep the price down, it is best to choose a standard self-levelling floor and apply a UV-resistant top layer.

Don't be fooled by receiving a price per square meter (m²) in your quote. The price per m² is determined by the consumption of your material. In order to give a low price, some contractors save on the layer thickness and so reduce the strength of the self-levelling floor. The recommended layer thickness for regular domestic use is on average 3.5 - 4.5 kg/m² for a layer thickness of 2-3 mm. If you maintain this thickness, your casting floor will last for 10 to all years.

Another big price advantage is achieved by not having to break out the old tile lining. So you work faster than you would have to install new tiles. Thanks to the thin layer thickness, you often never have to adjust the door heights.

Cast floor in the bathroom

A cast floor in the bathroom creates a modern and sleek look in the bathroom. A PU floor in the bathroom can be seamlessly connected to your walk-in shower and even to the walls. Underfloor heating can also be applied in combination with a PU floor. Water and water vapour are no problem at all for the PU Flooring in bathrooms. Thanks to the perfect water tightness of this material, you are guaranteed leak free for several years. If you let your floor finish in your walk-in shower, you can apply an antiskid layer if you want.

Een gietvloer in de woonkamer

A cast floor in the living room is not only beautiful, it is also maintenance-friendly and durable. In recent years, PU cast floors are increasingly used for renovations and for laying a beautiful and durable floor in living rooms. The uniqueness of a PU cast floor is the combination of colours and the gloss level. This means that on the one hand you can opt for a white, austere, high-gloss floor or on the other hand for a matte casting floor in a concrete look. With a cast floor in the living room or living space, you can create the ideal look to match your interior. Thanks to the elasticity of the PU self-levelling floor, you can use floor heating and apply it to almost any surface. A PU cast floor is maintenance-friendly and highly resistant to most diluted acids and alkalis. Therefore, there is no risk of wine or oil stains.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a PU cast floor?

The disadvantages of a PU self-levelling floor are limited. However, there are some things you should take into account when you choose to install a PU self-levelling floor.

Due to the higher elasticity of a PU cast floor, the wear-resistance is limited. Dog and cat nails may leave their marks after some time. Also the places around chairs and surfaces that are frequently moved will show signs of wear more quickly. However, you can prevent these traces of use by using a UV-resistant top layer. This not only protects your floor against discolouration caused by UV rays, but also gives it a wear-resistant protective layer.

When installing a PU Cast floor, it is important to prepare well. Especially the subfloor is important. The better the substrate, the better the result of your PU Flooring. Therefore, take enough time to prepare the subfloor and do the work. It is also best to work with two people. Someone who mixes and pours the products and a second person who distributes and vents.

A PU self-levelling floor is also sensitive to higher humidity. When you lay a self-levelling floor in a room that is recently occupied, it is best to let it dry completely first. It is also best to work on a dry day and not on a rainy and drizzly morning. The moisture in the air forms small blisters on the surface of the PU resin. These small blisters can be removed afterwards by sanding and applying a new layer of casting floor.

A PU self-levelling floor consists of several components, so you have to mix products. This mixing is very important and can sometimes negatively influence the curing. Good tools are therefore recommended when you start working.

Do you have doubts about the right working method? Then get good advice from a specialist or attend a workshop where you can work with the materials yourself.

Advantages of a PU Cast Floor	Disadvantages of a PU Cast Floor
Available in different colours	Not recommended in industrial applications
Combinable with underfloor heating	Moisture sensitive during installation
Can be used on almost any surface	Proper preparation of the substrate
Wear-resistant and UV-resistant top layer	More likely to wear out without a top layer
Ideal for people with allergies	Attention when mixing components
Low-maintenance

What are the costs of laying a cast floor?

Usually the costs of a PU self-levelling floor are lower than other synthetic floors offered in the market. This is because a PU self-levelling floor is composed of industrial raw materials. This keeps the price attractive for both professionals and private persons.

It is important to first make an overview of your requirements and expectations of your self-levelling floor.

What is the current surface?
Is it a new concrete floor? Is this concrete flat enough, or are there holes and irregularities which you could fill with cheaper levelling compound first? Or is it an old tiled floor? You can decide to save costs, dust and time by leaving the tiles in place and applying the PU screed on top.

Maybe your bathroom or wet room is timber-framed. Here you will first have to connect the seams or joints of the wooden boards, so that your self-levelling floor does not run out.

When comparing quotations, it is advisable not to look only at the square metre price (m²) given. It is important that you also know what the offered layer thickness will be. The consumption and thus the cost of a PU self-levelling floor depends on the desired layer thickness. The thicker your PU Flooring is applied, the stronger and more durable it will be. The recommended layer thickness is 2-3 mm.

If you are going to lay the floor in a freshly occupied or painted room, it is important that it dries completely before you lay the floor. Therefore, when installing your self-levelling screed, count on some extra costs for a dryer to allow the floor to dry completely. Moisture can cause air bubbles on your PU self-levelling floor.

A good mixer or drill is also worth the investment. Furthermore, it is advisable not to save on product so you would come up short for finishing.